Charioteer of Delphi

Ancient Greek The Charioteer of Delphi is one of the finest surviving Greek bronzes, depicting a victorious chariot driver in the moment after winning a race. Created around 478 BCE, the life-size figure wears the long chiton robe required of charioteers and holds reins in his still-extended hands. The statue formed part of a larger monument including a chariot and horses, now lost.

The charioteer's calm expression contrasts with the danger of his sport, where drivers were regularly killed in crashes. His inlaid copper lips and silver eyelashes add lifelike detail to the idealized face. A wealthy Sicilian tyrant dedicated the monument after his horses won at the Pythian Games.

The statue stands in the Delphi Archaeological Museum, found during excavations of the sanctuary in 1896.